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A number of years ago I got a phone call from a reader with a request.
He said he was 90 years old and had outlived two wives, yet he wasn’t sure he knew what real love is and he hoped that I could explain it.
I don’t know if he’s still one of my readers -- I haven’t heard from him since that one time. But if he is, here’s my best answer to his question:
When I was in middle school, I loved red-haired Paul Minardi with all my 13-year-old heart. We passed notes in class and he walked me to homeroom, carrying my books.

We’ve all scanned through this agreement at the bottom of a computer document without reading, and clicked accept so that we could get on with our lives. This week I learned a hard lesson about the importance of reading the fine print. I now know not to ever, ever, ever take anything at face value again.

A few weeks ago, my pastor’s sermon made me squirm in my seat.
We’ve been studying the Old Testament book of Exodus. That’s the book that talks about God rescuing the Israelites from their centuries of slavery in Egypt, all the plagues upon the Egyptians, how Moses parted the Red Sea and fed the Israelites with manna -- honey-tasting bread from heaven.
At one point, Moses meets with God on Mt. Sinai where God gives him two stone tablets with his law written on them.
God’s law is a gift to his people, my pastor said.

Welcome to Cuidad de Mexico! We had finally arrived in Mexico City! This city has embraced mass transit. The urban planners recognized the logic of employing a system to remove a percentage of vehicles from the crowded roadways while continuing to shuffle people along.

Last weekend I finally watched “Whiplash,” the movie with Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons.
Miles grew up here in Citrus County, and J.K. Simmons is the bald guy in the Farmer’s Insurance commercials and used to be the psychiatrist on “Law and Order”, plus he was in a whole bunch of other stuff.
The movie focuses on the relationship between Andrew Neiman (Teller), a student drummer at an elite Juilliard-type music school in New York City, and the studio jazz band instructor, Terence Fletcher (Simmons).

A few years ago, I decided to give up recreational shopping for Lent, the 40 days prior to Easter.
For a week prior to Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, I prepared for my shopping fast by buying new shoes and yet another pair of white pants, several tops, some earrings and a new purse.
To prepare effectively, I rationalized, one must get one’s obsessions out of one’s system, sort of like the time I ate an entire box of Hostess Ding Dongs at one sitting the day before I went on a diet.

Feb. 26, 1987 (30 Years Ago)
Trimble County Judge-Executive Jack Couch proposed forming an economic development council at the Feb. 17 meeting of Trimble County Fiscal Court. Couch stressed the need for such a council to work with the Commerce Cabinet in Frankfort. The council would hold regular meetings and explore the county’s potential to attract industry. Couch stressed the point that Trimble County is in a good location, in a hub between three airports and three major cities in the Midwest.

This Friday I will be embarking upon my first plane ride. I have been on a helicopter but the chopper had the good sense to remain within eyeshot of the ground. The jetliner will be unwilling to show this courtesy. I will be in the big leagues.
I am fully aware that it seems strange that I’ve never had this experience. After all, my mother-in-law hops on a plane to visit family on a regular basis. She’s quite the little traveler.

Recently, as Sen. Elizabeth Warren gave a speech criticizing then-nominee now Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stopped her from speaking.
In his explanation for invoking a little-known rule to silence her, McConnell said, “Sen. Warren was giving a lengthy speech. She appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. Nevertheless, she persisted.”
Immediately, that became the battle cry of many women across the nation with #ShePersisted and #LetLizSpeak among the top trending topics on Twitter.

Feb. 5, 1987 (30 Years Ago)
WAVE-TV with the help of Bedford Fire Department dispatcher Tyler Tilley has put Bedford on the weather map by reporting daily on the city’s weather conditions and rainfall. The 15-year-old Trimble County High School sophomore reports directly to WAVE-TV meteorologist Tom Wills. The TV station provided the fire department with a set of thermometers and a rain gauge.

It is with profound sorrow that I announce that my lengthy relationship with the used car has come to an end. My “Wee Beastie” has incurred at least half of its purchase price in repair bills. Despite the nature of the repair the amount due to the mechanic has consistently amounted to $1500.00; give or take a dollar. While I was once able to jest that if this kept up I would eventually have a new car, the checks became harder and harder to write. I realize that car repair is complicated work but I just can’t keep pouring money into my beloved money pit.

A number of years ago, one of my daughters was a “secret shopper.”
She actually got paid to go into restaurants and eat or clothing stores and shop. All she had to do was be inconspicuous as she observed the store’s employees.
Then after leaving the store, she would write a report of her observations: “The salespeople seemed too busy talking to each other to pay attention to customers,” or “The server disappeared as soon as she brought my food and failed to suggest dessert.”